Newsletter

Posted June 25, 2010 12:31 am

Across the nation

BOSTON

Gov. Deval Patrick used his bully pulpit Thursday to call the superintendent of a Cape Cod school district and urge her to revise a new policy allowing even elementary school students to receive free condoms without the knowledge of their parents.

The new policy makes condoms available to all Province-town public school students and takes effect in the fall. Under the policy, any student requesting a condom from a school nurse must first receive counseling, which includes information on abstinence.

Patrick said Superintendent Beth Singer, who authored the policy approved by the Cape Cod community's school board on June 10, is "going to try to walk this back a bit."

l TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - An Indiana woman with a history of miscarriages faked a pregnancy for nine months, then stabbed a couple in an attempt to kidnap their newborn son and pass him off as her own, police said Thursday. Stephanie Foster, 34, of Terre Haute was arrested Wednesday in Prairie Creek, Ind., after police received a 911 call from Ashley Speer reporting that she was being attacked.

l CHICAGO - Rod Blagojevich became bitter when told that newly elected President Barack Obama would give him thanks - but nothing else - in return for naming an Obama favorite to the Senate, according to an FBI tape played Thursday at the former governor's corruption trial.

l HARTFORD, Conn. - The pilot on a Virgin Atlantic flight that spent several hours on the tarmac after being diverted to Connecticut had asked for permission to unload the stranded passengers, but a customs official threatened to have them arrested if they did, the airline said Thursday.

WASHINGTON

Scientists using seat-of-the-pants research - literally - say how something feels to you can affect how you act.

In one experiment, for example, 86 people took part in negotiations over a new car with a sticker price of $16,500.

Some were seated on hard wooden chairs. Others had comfy padded seats.

After their first offers were rejected, the participants made a second proposal for the car.

Note to car dealers:

- People on stiff wooden chairs took a hard line in the deal, raising their offered price by $896.50.

- But the relaxed folks in soft chairs were willing to spend an extra $1,243.60.